It's understandble in Hawaii

There are many person who do practice Ken-doh in Hawaii, USA.
Ken-yu-kai, a name of Ken-doh club has practice at Kenshikan-DoJo in Honolulu.

I can see why Ken-doh had expanded in Hawaii. The reason why was for immigration first 20th  century.
Japan had needed to expand their labors out of county for population explosions inside.
So many people went to foreign countries, for example, North China, East Russia, Brazil, Hawaii, etc.

Hawaii Ken-doh Federation History

  

http://www.hawaiikendo.com/history.html

According to their explanation of Federarion History....
 

The first government-contract immigrants to Hawaii from Japan arrived in 1868, the first year of Meiji Era right after the end of Tokugawa Shogunate's reign.

They brought with them the art of Ken-doh and Su-moh to the islands. The Ken-doists at the time were actual Samurai or students of Samurai instructors, so their technique was more of thrusting and cutting with a real Japanese sword, Katana.

In 1885, the immigrants were reported to have demonstrated these arts for King David Kalakaua. A year after the Sino-Japanese War in 1895, a Ken-doh match was reported to be held on Oahu.

 In 1915, an official Ken-doh instructor for the immigrants came to Hawaii for the first time. Ken-doh became part of the requisite grade school curriculum in Japan in 1911 to help children develop physically and morally.

By 1940, when the Hawaii branch of Dainippon Butoku-Kai (the organization of Ken-doists in Japan) opened, Ken-doh was taught at the many Japanese schools and Do-jo throughout the State.

Ken-doh was banned in Hawaii in1941 at the onset of World War II, but Mikami Do-jo re-opened in Kapahulu soon after the war.

Ken-doh in Poland

 

http://www.eu-japanfest.org/column/80/?preview_id=9994&preview_nonce=cbd31225a2&preview=true

Vice president of Hokkaido Ken-doh association, 8th-dan Hanshi, Yamashiro Sensei(Ken-doh master) instructed young Ken-doh player in Breslau( Wrocław ), Republic of Poland( POLSKA ).
He had visited there for Poland-Japan Ken-doh relationship event, EU-Japan Fest 2010.

He said in his article about this session, they Polish players all not only had gotten win-defeat phase, also had been pursuing Ken-doh right path which are to form a human.  

I don't know why Polish people are fond of Ken-doh, Ju-doh and another Japanese martial arts. May be they had some era when they had needed to protect themselves from some violence in their daily life.

There has been good relationship between Poland and Japan in many fields.
I'd like to visit this beautiful city in POLSKA when it is warm, someday. 

Ouch! Ouch! Kusarigama worrior

Kusarigama, Chain sickle armour is so nice, isn't it?


If I were a warrior in 13 century and I had met an opponent Kusarigama warrior, this is very hard battle for me to win him with a sward.
Kasarigama guy might have broken my skull at first.  
Yes, helmet was essential in those days and is also now.

This is a demonstration at a Kobudo Event held every year in Abeno word(Osaka-city) Japan.
Most participants are members of the Nihon Kobudo Kyokai.

Joh-dan, Upper sward style

Joh-dan form, Over head sward stance is very aggressive one.
It is said to be "Hi-no-kamae (Stance of Fire)"
Upper sward style enable to give a quick shot.
But it's risky when he missed hitting since he usually give a shot using only left hand, so after giving a shot, he is very weak against attacking. 
Furthermore, opponent player can hit left hand that is in upper sward style.

Upper versus Upper looks like there are few chance to attack each other.
After attacking, they must repair their form for next shot.  

 

I wonder this match called an attention to people.
I have met two swards style one only a few times. All they were high grade Sensei, Ken-doh master. 

Training Session-Judging

 Photo upper, describing training session of Judging in Katsushika word, Tokyo metropolis.
Instructor was Kyohshi, Hachi(8)-dan, Itoh Sensei.

They say "Good match is carried out by good judging" 

Indicating Hikiwake, end in a draw.
Japan Ken-doh association requests to keep take part in these training session for Judging, Teaching and Form.
After session, there will be held a Keio, an exercise. 

Pre-attack phase

Before attack, we are to make battle to get the CENTER for attack and defense.
If opponent keeps his center of sward, that means he's already gotten advantage of positioning for attack and defense. So I must break his sward centering to me and must get own centering.

    
Why the centering of sward is so important in Ken-doh?
It enables to get shot in shortest route.
His sward will trace the cutting way more earlier than other sward that could not get centering.

I've found that this is one of big reasons I keep going to Ken-doh. This phase is most difficult and hard, of course I'm not so good at this, centering to get attack.

God of Ken-doh might watch this phase in any Ken-doh activities.

An opinion of a professor

    

Dr. Alexander Bennett, Assistant Professor of Kansai University

 Zanshin -- the lingering mind in Budo | Alex Bennett | TEDxMeieki 2013/11/06 

Dr. Alex Bennett began kendo because it looked as interesting as Star Wars. At TEDxMeieki, a wooden-sword in hand, he introduces us to the concept of Budo (Japanese martial arts) and the philosophy of Zanshin (a sense of lingering heart). Budo is different from sport. From his experience of more than 20 years, he speaks about the very essence of Budo.

 

 He appreciated the difficulty of Ippon, winning hit in Ken-doh..

Just hitting some hitting point fills 50% for Ippon criteria.

A shot would be approved as an Ippon only when it had been hit in right form in action, in full cut spirit, with hitting voice, and Zanshin.

Zan-shin, for me, means prompt arrangement/preparation for next attack, after shot.

It should be filled with full pressure attitude/spirit. 

Every time I tried to hit instructor in Doh-joh, he gave me same tip, "You didn't get your Zan-shin, that was not enough for Ippon"